Family affair at Mitchell rodeo sees the Cabans on top

EMERALD cowgirl Leanne Caban has started the 2020 Australian Professional Rodeo Association season with two placings in the New Year’s Eve Rodeo at Mitchell.

EMERALD cowgirl Leanne Caban has started the 2020 Australian Professional Rodeo Association season with two placings in the New Year’s Eve Rodeo at Mitchell.

She was second in the barrel race behind winner Chantel Huddy, of Roma, and third in a breakaway roping competition that was won by Alton Downs rider Jorja Iker.

Leanne was one of three placegetters from her family at Mitchell.

Son Clay, 17, won the open rope and tie and junior team roping heading, while daughter Maddison, 15, was first in junior breakaway roping. Leanne’s husband Dale also competed at Mitchell but was unplaced.

Clay has already competed in open team roping at the national finals with Kenny Organ and they recorded a second in the final round in October in Warwick.

Leanne has won two all around cowgirl titles and one breakaway roping title in the Australian Professional Rodeo Association.

She is keen to win a barrel racing title and has a horse she believes can carry her to more success.

Leanne has made the APRA National Finals in the past two years on 10-year-old Acca Dacca.

“I have ridden Acca Dacca for the past eight years. He was a late maturer and is now coming into his own,” she said.

“He is a tall horse with a lot of speed and it has taken him a long time to stay balanced in competition with his long legs.”

Originally from Julia Creek, Leanne first competed in rodeo in 1989.

A year later, she won a circuit rookie title in the APRA.

In the past three decades, she has only missed two years of competition while living at Julia Creek.

“I didn’t miss any full years when our two children were born. Clay was born on June 20 and I competed at Cloncurry and Mt Isa less than two months later,” Leanne said.

One of her greatest moments was breaking the APRA barrel racing record at the Mt Isa Rodeo.

“I held the record for six years,” she said.

The trip to Mitchell was a short one – five hours driving each way – but the Caban family is considering heading south in March with a truck load of horses for the tri series rodeos on the Victorian long weekend.

She has won both the barrel racing and breakaway roping twice in her hometown rodeo at Emerald.

“It is nice to win in front of your home crowd,” Leanne said.

She believes in the importance of putting something back into the sport and has been the barrel racing director in the APRA for the past three years.